Perfection
by lupi81
Summary: To him she was an ideal, she was perfection. ShinsukexFuu
1. Chapter 1

She haunted his sleep. She haunted him during the waking hours too, always lurking just on the periphery of his consciousness. Her infectious smile and overwhelming perkiness fixated in his mind as perfection. But he was tied down by a sickness that was not his own. Because there was a woman before her and her name was mother.

It was only when the freshly tilled earth was raked over the grave that he could blot his tearstreaked face and set out for Nagasaki.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Where will you go?"

She regarded him with wide doe eyes, looking over his handsome features before smiling with conviction.

"We are headed to Nagasaki."

In a flurry of rage Mugen whirled in like a tornado of flailing arms and limbs, knocking the small time thieves around as he headed for Shinsuke. Fuu leapt before him and planted her small hands on his chest.

"Let him go Mugen."

The pirate snarled angrily, his fingers itching to crush the kid's windpipe.

"Why," he whined.

"He was just helping his mom Mugen."

With a beleaguered groan he kicked out the window in tandem with Fuu's excited squeal.

He deftly ascended to the window sill.

"Fuu, I'll repay you for this one day."

"Don't forget me Shinsuke."

"You don't forget me either."

Fuu watched as he evaded the police and melted into nothingness down a side alley, half heartedly listening to Mugen raging in the background, still kicking the thieves.

XxxxxxxxxX

"Fuu, I'm hungry."

He had used his most pitiful whine, the one that made her want to strangle him when she thought about it."

"Then get a job you freeloader."

He snickered and ruffled her hair, easily evading her enraged outburst. He had long since decided he liked it here in Nagasaki. Especially since Fuu more or less let him use her hut as an inn, to bad she wouldn't let him drag his conquests back.

"You hardass."

He hefted himself to his feet and ambled out of the teahouse to lighten a few wallets smiling at her frustrated sigh.

He had blown in about six months ago, intent on seeing if the brat was still alive and hitting up some premium cathouses. In very short order he recognized this for the boon it was and more or less refused to leave what he had claimed as his room of the hut.

Fuu sighed at his foolishness and busied herself with wiping down tables in the back.

Her ears perked up and the rag stilled as she heard an oddly familiar voice in the background.

"Does a girl named Fuu work here?"

XxxxxxxxxxxX


	2. Chapter 2

Here you go Kendra dear, my fellow shinsuke Fuu shipper. I think I might just make this a vicious love triangle after all –cackles-

A familiar boy with shaggy hair pinned into a messy top knot regarded her as she stepped forward, surprise registering on his face.

"Fuu?"

A wild, delighted grin spread over her face.

"Shinsuke!"

He smiled at her excitement despite the fact that he was hungry and weary. She really was a pretty girl, all spunk and perk.

"So have you come to repay me Shinsuke?"

"Something like that."

XxxxxxxxxxX

Mugen was thoroughly annoyed. His easy life as Fuu's sole protection and closest companion had just had a major kink thrown in it. A kink in the form of a lanky brat that obviously had stars in his eyes for the other brat. Disgusting. It ruffled his feathers, rubbed him the wrong way when that two bit thief showed up with a beaming Fuu leading the way into the hut. There wasn't room for three people and Mugen was NOT sharing his room.

"No," he warned before she could even ask.

She smiled despite the annoyed twitch of her eyebrow then made the punk a pallet in her room. Right next to her bed. He found it odd that he had to resist the urge to yank the sneaky little bastard right out of her room and beat him within an inch of his life. He may not want Fuu but that sure as hell didn't mean anyone else could have her.

He heard the rustle of sheets and murmurs and felt his blood pound painfully through his veins.

Fuu rolled over in her futon to peer at Shinsuke. He heard the movement and turned to face her. He couldn't suppress the smile that rose unbidden to his face as he regarded her cute façade peering over the white sea of her covers. Her big doe eyes blinked lazily at him and he had to suppress the urge to crawl into bed with her.

"Hey, Shinsuke."

"Hmm?"

"It's good to see you again."

"Thanks, same goes for you. I'm glad you kept up your end of the promise."

"You still a pickpocket?"

"Only when forced. I'm older now so I can sometimes get good, honest work."

"Mugen would rather pickpocket."

"I'm kinda surprised he's still around… Are yall.."

"No," she hastily refuted, wrinkling her nose in displeasure. "I don't have the body for him," she sniffed.

Shinsuke could not refrain from snorting in derision. A blush instantly rose to his cheeks as well as hers.

"Night Fuu," he mumbled quickly before ensconcing himself in his pallet.

…..

Shinsuke awoke to the aroma of food and his stomach clenched painfully. He padded out into the main room to see Fuu bent over a cooking fire with a pot of something delicious simmering over it. He sat down beside her and withheld a smirk at the tiny, pleased smile that bloomed on her lips.

He pulled his shaggy hair into a messy top knot and sidled ever closer to both the pot and her.

"Hungry," she teased.

"In more ways then one," sneered a groggy voice as Mugen strolled through the room, hunkering down on her other side. She looked scandalized and boxed him in the ear.

"Shut your fat mouth you jerk."

"Feed me," he whined in return.

Fuu smiled a little too sweetly and ladled an overly generous portion into Shinsuke's bowl.

"Here ya go Shinsuke," she chirped brightly while offering the meal.

"Thank you Fuu."

For a moment she contemplated flinging hot stew on Mugen just to hear him squeal girlishly but decided the bloodbath that would follow just wasn't worth it.

"Take a bath you smell," she pleasantly tacked on as she handed him his bowl.

"Grow some tits, you're flat."

Her snarl bubbled up from her lips and Shinsuke gaped at Mugen. He slid his gaze over to the fuming girl who merely gathered her food and left the room, anger rolling off her.

"Whatchu lookin at brat," Mugen snarled, feeling predatory now that Fuu was gone.

Shinsuke leveled a stare at the pirate, burying any residual fear of the bloodthirsty man deep down. It didn't help that he had seen him take out a room full of people.

"A jackass."

Mugen lunged for him but Shinsuke was already on his feet and after Fuu.

….

Fuu was prodding the passed out Mugen with her toe when she heard the door slide tentatively open. She turned to see Shinsuke's shaggy head peering in.

"You don't have to knock, just come in."

He crossed the room and took her hands in his.

A blush suffused her face and she looked up at him. He pressed money into her hands, squeezed them and then released them.

"What's this?"

"For letting me stay here."

She beamed at him.

"Thank you Shinsuke, let's go to bed."

Neither of them felt the feral pair of eyes searing into them.


End file.
